The Afterglow Secrets
by xZorobinx
Summary: A dying rose once represented the afterglow that lit up the night sky, but in turn this afterglow held a power, a secret and the truth. How does this affect Robin when she is trying to figure out her complicated feelings towards the swordsman and protect herself from a former enemy out for revenge?
1. I

The Going Merry lay at rest in the calm relaxed ocean as the stunning stars shined above. It was the first stable wind that had occurred in a few days especially in comparison to last night's storm which had kept everyone up and working to control the ship. Despite the sea's relaxed state, giving permission for the Straw-hat pirates too sleep, two members of the crew were still wide awake.

The swordsman Zoro lay awake with his hands stretched high behind his moss green hair. It was a Wednesday and therefore his night to stand watch and protect the ship whilst the the rest of the crew got their 'well-deserved' beauty rest as Nami had clearly pointed out to him before he took over the position as they went to sleep. However despite his love for sleep, he didn't mind due to being able to train to his heart's extent with his swords without any distractions or disruptions from the rest of the Crew, mainly his disruptive hyperactive captain Luffy. He let out a sly smile and began to lift a rather large heavy rock with ease. No doubt Chopper would criticise him for training to hard again in the morning when his muscles ache as they did almost ever Thursday morning.

The other Straw-hat pirate that lay awake was Nico Robin. Her raven black hair flowed past her shoulders as she sat propped up with a pillow resting behind her lower back. She had just finished another interesting book on ruins and knew she wouldn't be able to fall asleep anytime soon as she was still wide awake. Climbing out of her bed she made her way out onto the deck of the ship. The little wind there was still sent a painful chill in the air and she found herself shivering whilst admiring the beautiful gloss of the stars.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Mr Swordsman high up in the Crow's nest lifting what appeared to be a rather large rock. She smiled slightly to herself thinking of Chopper's reaction if he had been the one to see this sight. Robin delicately stepped towards the ladder and began to climb. The top of her black raven hair peaked through into the crow's nest when she heard the thud of the rock being dropped. "Robin, why are you not asleep?" She was met face to face with the narrowed eye swordsman. She shrugged keeping her usual perfectly straight face. "I thought I'd give you some company, sorry, have I interrupted you Mr Swordsman?" She said as she stood on the crows nest in her short night dress.

"No, it's fine.." Zoro mumbled as he unconsciously looked her up and down. Robin was wearing some of her revealing nightdresses that sent Shitty Cook Sanji away with nosebleeds whenever she dared to wear them to breakfast. Zoro's eyes lingered on her breasts and shook his head. '_At this rate I'll be just as perverted as Shitty Cook' _His eyes darted away from her clevage and he thanked himself she hadn't noticed.

Infact, Robin had noticed but instead decided not to mention it. She watched as Zoro began to lift the stone again, although they weren't speaking she enjoyed his company. After a while Robin began to shiver as the wind picked up slightly, she kept it quiet as she didn't want to move, she was enjoying the peace with Zoro too much. Zoro glanced at her abruptly and placed the stone down. To his own surprise and Robin's he took of his cloak and handed it to her, "Wear it. Can't afford you getting cold now can we?" He slyly smiled at her before beginning training again. Robin put it on and wrapped it round. "Thank you Mr Swordsman.." She whispered.

Robin felt herself beginning to fall asleep and gently closed her eyes. Beside her, Zoro noticed her breathing change and glanced her way to find her asleep. He couldn't help but smile in admiration. _'She looks adorable, wait.. What am I thinking?' _He scowled to himself and poked her. Her eyes fluttered open revealing tired piercing blue eyes. "You should probably go to bed." He stated, she nodded feeling like she had out stayed her welcome and began to take his cloak off. "It's fine.. Return it tomorrow." Zoro said before looking away from her. She smiled gratefully at the back of his head, "Thank you. Goodnight Swordsman." She said before disappearing down the ladder. Zoro sighed deeply putting his face into the palm of his hands. _'I have to get my feelings towards Robin controlled, I can't afford any distractions in the way of my dream.' _

Robin returned to her room to find a voluminous red wined shaded book in the middle of her pillow. A curved golden rose illustrated on the front with no title. _'This is strange.. I've never seen this book before. Maybe Chopper left it for me to read?' _She picked up the book and placed it on the side of her bed, whatever the book was she would read tomorrow. She was too tired to read right now. Her raven black hair sprawled across her pillow as she laid and she fell quickly into a deep slumber.

_"Who's there?" Robin called in absolute despair running her hands through her hair. She let out a cry as pain erupted from within her as a shadowed figure merely approached her. She looked up as tears streamed down her make up stained face, droplets of blood began to drip onto the cold stoned floor. Where was she? She stared up at the shadowed figure, it spoke "Nico Robin, how lovely it is to have the pleasure to see you again.." The shadowed figure bent down grabbing hold of her arm, she was defenceless no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move and could no longer speak. The voice gripped her arm harder and harder.. _


	2. II

**Author's Note: Just want to add a few things that will help with the understanding of the fanfiction.**

**This fanfiction is not set and timelined in the same events of the Anime but will reference their adventures such as Skypiea, and before. **

**I've changed Robin's age to 17 because I've found that it would make more sense alongside the plotline for her to be around the same age as the rest of the crew.**

**I apologize now if the characters go slightly OOC but will try to make them remain as they normally are. **

Robin stretched outwards and yawned. The sun shined through the crack under the door and the seducive smell of bacon also filled the room, _'What time is it?' _Robin glanced at Nami's empty bed. _'I don't usually sleep later then Nami..' _She climbed out of the bed and realised she was still wearing Zoro's cloak and smiled to herself. She sniffed it, her essence had overpowed his and she grinned. _'Now he's going to have to smell like me until he has it washed.' _She couldn't help but picture Luffy coming close to Zoro, "Zoro why do you smell like flowers?" Robin chuckled and made her way over to the mirror.

A pain increased in her arm and she couldn't help but gasp, a slow tear falling down her cheek with no control. Gasping louder she lifted Zoro's cloak from her arm, a bruise ranging from a slight teal colour to almost black. "What the." Robin was shocked, wincing in pain now she poked the bruise delicately. "Argh" Robin moaned loudly then fell downwards onto her knees subsiding. She contemplated the bruise, she had absolutely no recollection of what had caused it. With a sigh she stood back up and grabbed a pair of shorts and crop top from her drawer and proceeded to change. She folded up Zoro's cloak and left it under her pillow. _'I'll return that later but for now I have to see Chopper..' _

Robin rushed towards the escalating noise of her crewmates. The echoeing voice of Luffy escalated the surroundings, "But Sanji, I want food noww!" She reached the kitchen and poked her head round the door. Thankfully Chopper was there. Tucking her left arm into her other to hide the bruise, she ignored Luffy, Sanji's and Ussop's greetings of Good Morning and bent down beside Chopper. "I need to see you now please." She whispered. Chopper nodded, "Right away." Chopper followed her out the room, both ignoring the glances between the other crewmates.

"Well that was strange," Ussop began before being hit round the head by Nami. "It's probably just girl stuff, I mean you know that time of the mo-" Nami, although finding it strange herself, began defending her friend but was cut of again Ussop, "Er okay I get it, I get it. No need for details." Nami scowled. "Aw Nami's so cute when she scowls." Sanji said staring adoringly at Nami from across the table but as usual she ignored him. "Shut up Shitty cook.." Zoro grunted which was quickly returned with a comment about him being a shitty marimo from Sanji which was essentially ignored by Zoro who was now deep in thought which infuriated Sanji.

In the infirmary Chopper closed the door behind Robin and locked it so no one could barge in behind them. " What's the matter?" He asked concerned as he eyed her. _'She doesn't look sick although she is a little flushed' _Chopper thought to himself and Robin sighed. "Well, I woke up this morning and this bruise had appeared but I have no idea where it came from, we haven't had a fight for ages with other pirates and I've never quite had one like it either.." She stuck out the bruised arm for Chopper to see and he gasped. "I've never seen a bruise like that in my existence, please sit." Chopper said desperately as he began to hurriedly look for a book within the bookcase. "Here it is!" He breathed a sigh of relief. "From my diagnosis, the colour of the bruise gives it away but to be sure it does surely look like a Black Swanned Bruise..very uncommon." He pondered, reading over the book carefully. "As a type of hematoma, a bruise is always caused by internal bleeding into the interstitial tissues which does not break through the skin, usually initiated by blunt trauma... To take care of the Black Swanned Bruise, the injured must be bandaged... Will take around a week to heal if it is rubbed with orchard oil.. " Chopper murmured as he read but then looked up facing Robin straight in the eyes. "And you have no idea how this happened?" Robin shook her head. "Mhmm, well let's see if I have some orchard oil." Chopper rummaged inside the cabinet beside the bookshelf, "Here it is!" He said relieved pulling it out. "Thank you Chopper!" Robin herself was relieved, the pain had increased in her arm more and more and she soon sure she'd shake from the pain. Chopper dipped the bandage into the orchard oil before proceeding over to Robin's arm to wrap it up. He twisted and turned the bandage around her left arm making sure every angle of the bruise was covered. "All done," Chopper exclaimed. "I'll check it again tomorrow for you, maybe we'll be able to find out what caused it." Robin smiled at him and pulled him into a tight squeezed hug. "Thank you so much."

- x

Luffy, Ussop and Chopper could be heard occasionally from the spot Robin sat although they were on the other side of the Going Merry fishing with hope that something big would come their way that Sanji could use for dinner. It had been a while since they had been on land and their supplies had drawn low so Nami was sat inside trying to find out which Island their Logpost was heading towards, and Sanji was helping by counting all the supplies they had left for everything, and how much would cover the costs for everything they needed to get. Robin herself was relaxing on the back deck of the ship, the pain had almost gone, the occasional wince escalated from her so she was glad no-one was near her.

"Robin," Zoro's half asleep voice began and Robin snapped out of her daydream. Turning to him, she saw Zoro sitting not that far away from her and Zoro himself couldn't help but notice her blue eyes twinkle as she noticed him. "You alright? I mean you keep seeming like you're in pain." Robin was took a back, she hadn't realized he had been sitting there for that long. "I'm perfectly fine." She replied with a smile. "Mhmm." Zoro mumbled shutting his eyes once more becoming increasingly tired. Although he had a feeling deep down she was lying to him, he replied with "That's good to know." Robin couldn't help but smile brightly.


End file.
